British Columbia Lottery Pays Out Record Win on Online Ticket

The ticket was bought for the 6/49 lottery by Bill Laharty from Nanaimo. He purchased the ticket earlier this month from the BCLC igaming lottery platform, PlayNow.com and the lottery was drawn on Saturday, August 13.

Mr Laharty, who is known as “Hole Digger Bill” to his friends because he digs hydro holes for a living had a one in 13,983,816 chance of winning. This is by far the biggest win ever awarded from an online ticket in Canada with the previous record standing at CA$7.6 million. That win was awarded to another Nanaimo resident in December, 2010. In total, the BCLC has had a big year this financial year, paying out CA$46.3 million in cash and prizes.

Laharty could not believe his luck and has already started spending his winnings, although, as he said, “it’s a lot of money. It’s more money than I’m ever going to need.”

“I checked my account and there were a lot of zeros and numbers and I phoned and they said I’d won,” he said.

“I’ve already bought a couple of cars,” he added. “I haven’t paid for them yet, but I bought them. Two BMWs – one for me and one for my friend.”

That’s not all – Laharty has others plans for the cash as well. He said excitedly that he is planning to retire and travel and he has hopes of buying a condo “somewhere exotic” like Bora Bora or the Philippines.